Shaft-tug.



Nm 643565. V PaimfiedFeb.20,l90 A. L. MACLACHLAN.

SHAFT TUG (Application filed Nov. 15, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.

ANDREW L. IWIAOLAOHLAN, OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHAFT-TUG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,665, dated February20, 1900.

Application filed November 15,1899. Serial No. 737,056. (No model.)

To all whom it mag concern.-

Be it known that 1, ANDREW L. MACLACH- LAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Melrose, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shaft-Tugs,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of shafttugs in which a number ofoval pieces of leather are provided with oval openings and the said ovalpieces are pressed together and afterward permanently secured, so thatthe tug comprises a number of layers. In order to apply buckles to tugsof this description, it is necessary tobore a hole in the tug at theproper end and thrust one of the bars (detached for the purpose) of theframe or loop of the buckle through the hole and then to apply theremainder of the said frame or loop to the bar which lies in the hole.It is obvious that a whole-loop buckle-t. e., a buckle having anintegral frame-cannot be applied to this style of shaft-tug.

The object of my invention is to construct a shaft-tug of the characterdescribed which is capable of receiving a buckle having an integralframe or loop and of having any ordinary buckle applied to or removedfrom it without destroying or injurying either the buckle or the tug.

The nature of the invention is fully described below and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view ofmy improved shaft-tug with the securing or clamping plate removed. Fig.2 is a similar view of a buckle provided with an integral frame or loop.Fig. 3 is a view of the clamping or securing plate removed. Figs. 4. and5 represent the bolts before they are placed in position. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the shaft-tug complete and with the buckle inposition. Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken through the buckle and theupper end of the tug. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken on line Y,Fig. 7.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the body of the tug, constructed of numerous layers of'leather A. At the points a near the end at which the buckle is to beapplied these layers are cut verti cally, as shown in Fig. 1, to a depthcorresponding to the thickness of the clamping or securing plate belowdescribed. Midway between the points a a radial transverse cut. B ismade across the layers and through the body of the tug. A large opening0 is cut to receive the looped end I) of the tongue b of the buckle,said opening being of substan tially the shape shown and extending onopposite sides of the out B. A horizontal bore D is made transverselyand horizontally through the layers and extends on opposite sides of thecut B. This bore is of a size to receive the portion e of the frame orloop e of the buckle. A pair of smaller bores E are formed upon oppositesides of the cut B for the purpose of receiving the bolts which securethe plate in place. In constructing this portion of the tug the openings0, D, and E may be first made and then the cut B formed across theopenings 0 D, or the order of the process may be changed as desired.

A metallic plate is formed consisting of the curved end F, provided withthe slot F, made longer than it is wide, and the flat sides I-I, eachprovided with a central radial recess H and two perforations II, thepairs of perforations being opposite each other.

To apply the buckle, spread the upper end of the tug forcibly apartsufficiently to allow the bar 6' to be pushed down within the cut Buntil it reaches the curved recesses which constitute the bore D. Passthe plate over the tongue I), so that said tongue projects through theopening F, and then press it down between the edges a with its slots Hover the portion 6 of the buckle on opposite sides of the tongue. Theparts of the tug are then pressed together, if necessary, and bolts Kare driven through holes H in the plate and the coincident perforationsE in the tug, the entering ends of the bolts being then riveted over theedges of the plate. In this position, as will be seen, the bar 6 of thebuckle lies in the bore D and the portion b of the tongue in the recessO, and the buckle is free to swing in either direction. To remove thebuckle, the rivets are removed by punching them back with a rivet setand the buckle 'taken out by spreading the body of the tug.

It is evident that any style of buckle, whether its frame is integral ornot, can be applied to the tug, provided the portion 6 is not too large,and should that be the case the bore D can be reamed out or enlarged, asdesired.

As this tug is composed of layers or lifts of leather, it is evidentthat the best and easiest method of producing the opening 0 is to outtransversely through a given number of layers, the number shown in thedrawings being two.

It is apparent that in case of breakage another buckle can besubstituted with considerable economy of time.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-=-

